I’ve been out of work for almost a year now. I quit my last job to work on both my physical and mental health as both were poor. I have $0 income coming in. I currently live with my ex/friend who makes enough to support us both. I spend my days bringing my friend to/from work, cleaning the household, going to medical appointments and exercising/stretching. And yes I do just chill and watch a movie or something at other times during the day.
I want to first say I’m extremely grateful for my friend and I know how much of a privilege this situation is for me. I do not want to ever take it for granted. I will also say that if you ever have the chance to take a break from work, especially for your health, do it. 10/10 would highly recommend
this experience so far, I feel like I’ve been finally healing both mentally and physically.
I (29/F) have been through many challenges in my life and have serious depression/anxiety issues. I had been working through 3 different jobs since I started college (started in 2010). they all sucked of course. The highest paying one, a receptionist, was the worst of them all. All less than $20 an hour though. Having a job where I was sitting down all day plus not exercising ruined my posture and body overall. I’ve had chronic pain and stiffness for the last 5 or 6 years. So yeah I’m fucked up lol.
Since I’m not working, I feel like I can now prioritize my health and well-being. I can exercise and strengthen my body and then chill out. Learning how to relax is necessary and I think a lot of us struggle with it. I still have my good days and bad days but I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress so far. I have also become much more of a mindful and reflective person. Pair that with medical marijuana and it’s been a nicer experience than when I was working lol.
I know I have to go back to work eventually and that is my goal. But for now I’m going to not work and focus on myself for the majority of my day until I can get better. This “break from work” is me getting better so I can become able-bodied enough to maintain a job. I want to be able to make enough money to support myself. It’s going to suck going back to work for sure lol. But I’m hoping to go back within a year.
side note: a lot of people would have told me they would be too bored to “stay at home all day.” Trust me when I say that we need downtime more than we know. Hobbies and interests are important